The full extent of Typhoon Haiyan's horrific rampage through the Philippines this weekend is still unclear. But according to new reports from the country's hardest-hit regions, up to 10,000 people may have lost their lives in the devastation.
Authorities in the Leyte province estimate at least 10,000 people perished in their region, and more than 70 percent of structures were destroyed by the storm. (Via ITV)
Separately, an administrator for the province's capital city, Tacloban, says it's possible just as many people died in the capital city as in the entire province. Haiyan flattened almost all of Tacloban's utilities and infrastructure. (Via BBC)
The extent of the storm's devastation has made any accurate assessment of the damage difficult. The Philippine Red Cross previously estimated Haiyan's death toll at 1,200, and so far the government has only officially confirmed around 150 deaths. (Via Voice of America)
Relief agencies and government troops are still struggling to reach many parts of the country which have been cut off by storm damage. The country's interior minister told reporters all vestiges of modern life were swept away by the storm.
"The devastation is, I don't have the words for it; it's really horrific. It's a great human tragedy." (Via CBS)
And while the Philippines reels from Haiyan's ruinous effects, other countries are still bracing for impact. Over 600,000 people have been evacuated to higher ground in Vietnam, where the storm is expected to make landfall early Monday. (Via NBC)
Thankfully, Haiyan isn't expected to be as catastrophic in Vietnam as it was in the Philippines.
The typhoon has been significantly weakened by its journey over the South China Sea, and Haiyan might even be downgraded to a tropical storm by the time it reaches land again. (Via The Weather Channel)
If the reported death toll is accurate, Haiyan would become the deadliest tropical storm ever to hit the Philippines, surpassing 1991's tropical storm Thelma, which killed about 5,000 people.
